EU to review State aid in fishery and aquaculture
The European Commission launched a consultation on the review of State aid framework concerning fishery and aquaculture, which is set to expire in September 2019. The European Commission’s subsequent proposal is expected to be adopted in the fourth quarter of 2020. The review aims to secure consistency of the regulations and guidelines concerning the European […]
New EU cybersecurity certification framework
The European Commission has recently recommended a common EU approach to the security of 5G networks. Since its recommendation, 24 EU Member States have completed the first step and submitted the national risk assessment. The assessments will contribute to an EU-wide risk evaluation, with support of the European Commission and the European Union Agency for […]
Renewed EU focus on anti-money laundering rules
The European Commission adopted a Communication and four reports addressing money laundering and terrorist financing risks in July 2019. The reports stress the need for the full implementation of the fifth anti-money laundering directive and reinforce the supervisory role of the European Banking Authority. The communication addressed the persistent shortfalls in anti-money laundering and terrorist […]
EU to regulate facial recognition
The European Commission is planning a regulation, which will tighten the limits on the use of facial recognition technology. The regulation would give EU citizens’ rights over the use of their facial recognition data, marking a precedent in how the EU regulates artificial intelligence. The European Commission wishes to reinforce European citizens’ protection, which is […]
New Energy Charter Treaty
The European Commission has recently published a recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the entering into negotiations on the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). The ECT, signed in Lisbon in 1994, is an international agreement that regulates cross-border cooperation in the energy industry. It covers all aspects of commercial energy activities, including trade, […]
EU to harmonise device chargers
After the failure of the negotiations with the industry for a new Memorandum of Understanding to harmonise chargers for data-enabled mobiles sold in the EU, the European Commission has initiated in May 2019 a public consultation to collect stakeholders’ opinions in order to find the best solution to the problem of fragmentation of the charging […]
EU to strengthen its financial supervisory architecture
In the framework of the Capital Markets Union project, the European Parliament and Member States have recently reached a political agreement on new rules to strengthen financial supervision and to prevent anti-money laundering. The new legal regime will improve the governance and the convergence powers of the European Supervisory Authorities. Furthermore, anti-money laundering will be […]
EU-US new trade negotiations
After the failure of the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2016, the EU has decided to engage again in new trade discussions with Trump administration. According to the EU negotiating directives, the new agreement should address only trade in goods and the related tariffs, excluding the contentious area of agriculture […]
EU to revise State aid Guidelines for the agriculture sector
The European Commission has recently launched a public consultation on its State aid framework in the agriculture sector, which is set to expire in December 2020. State aid control in the period 2021 to 2027 needs to be adapted to the future legal framework of the Common Agricultural Policy. The European Commission aims at strengthening […]
EU to accelerate its mobility reforms
The Mobility Package proposed by the European Commission risks to paralyse Europe. In April 2019, the European Parliament has approved its position to negotiate with the Council of the European Union on new rules concerning posting of drivers, rest times and cabotage. According to the European Commission, the new rules are expected to boost competitiveness […]